Sabah’s Milton Amat won the Koboi Malaya Trail Classic 50 km in Jerantut, Pahang, last Sunday with a superb time of 3 hours 56 minutes. . Just like Hisashi Kitamura and Jeff Campbell earlier this season, it's Milton's 7th ATM race victory ever and he further underlines he is now also his country’s benchmark over the medium trail distance.

Initially, Amat had to cope with the surprisingly fast Jia Xian Tai from Johor. The newcomer on the ATM scene eventually had to let Amat go but still held on to second place, 19 minutes behind. But Jia Xian Tai did stay ahead of 2018 race winner Mohammed Affindi. Affindi was solid as usual, but a bit frustrated as he was one of several competitive runners who had issues with the markings. Amir Zaki finished fourth right on the tail of Affindi. Amierul Amin Shamsul Kamal was a great fifth very closely behind. Next came Dzul Izwan Sire Ee, Aqmal Adzmi, Wilsen Singgin - not his best race, clearly - Abdul Rasyid Mohd Salemuddin and Etienne Sapin.

Rashila Tamang from Kathmandu, Nepal, was the great winner of the women's race in 5h08! Wonderful debut on the ATM circuit for the runner from Team T8 Nepal, promising a lot for later in the season and this year's Championship. In second place we found Sarawakian Sally Yap, confirming she can also perform on runable courses. Sally, the vice-ATM champion from last season, completed Koboi Malaya in 5h27. Early race leader Chhiok Sherpa, also from T8 Nepal, came third after missing a marking late in the race. Both Nepalese runners showed their running talent, but are likely to be even more in their element in the mountains. In fourth we have an excellent result by Norlela Ismail from Team La Sportiva Malaysia. Norlela was an ATM Finalist last year. Canada's Isabelle Bedard arrived in 5th place, but was later relegated as she also fell victim to the seemingly inadequate marking. Fifth place was inherited by mountain runner Izzah Hazirah.

The race in Jerantut, Pahang, lived up to its promise as being a 'speed trail'. After the start was delayed due to heavy rainfall, runners got going in quasi ideal circumstances and the finishing time of Milton Amat says it all.

This Sunday we have the first of five Malaysian points races in the 2023 Asia Trail Master Championship and it’s also -on paper- the fastest one. Koboi Malaya Trail Classic by Malatra Events is a 50km as good as flat forest trall in Jerantut, Pahang, roughly three hours north of Kuala Lumpur. A race in the spirit of Sungai Menyala Forest Trail in 2018 and 2019 that caters for runners with a good pace in the legs, including road runners who want to give trail a try. 

We are in Southeast Asia so rainfall may always turn things upside down, and increase the technicality of the course. The event was held once before in 2018 under a different name and saw Mohamed Affindi as male winner. No surprise that Affindi features again on the start list for Sunday, opening his 2023 ATM campaign exactly one year after his superb victory in Bali over 30km. Affindi is always at his most competitive in the short to medium distance, and he will start logically as one of the favourites in the men’s race. However, a certain Milton Amat is coming over from Sabah to give him a run for his money. Amat has always been a longer distance guy, but proved last year in a number of 50k races that he has become a faster runner during the corona crisis years. For Amat, the vice-ATM champion finishing just five minutes behind Arnie Macaneras in the Final on Mt Apo last December, it is also the first race of 2023 in ATM. Amir Zaki, Wilsen Singgin, Jeffery Budin and Aqmal Adzmi are also expected to be podium contenders this weekend. 

In the women’s 50km race we have vice-ATM champion Sally Yap on the start list as one of the top favourites. Sally Yap was an exciting newcomer on the scene in 2022, and it will be interesting to see how she further develops as a runner this season. We all know Sally is strong on long and technical ultras, in Koboi we will find out how she fares on runable trails. She is likely to be tested by two even younger Nepalese runners: Rashila Tamang and Chhiok Sherpa (no relation to Alessando Sherpa). Both have been recruited by T8 for their new T8 Nepal Team and have ambition for this year’s Asia Trail Master Championship. Coming from Kathmandu, Koboi will be their first appearance on the ATM scene. Other podium contenders are Izzah Hazirah and Halimatun Sa’adiah. 

Malaysia is one the countries where the competition to enter the national country team for the ATM Championship Final is tough, as many want to get in. Koboi is the first opportunity to collect points, followed in three weeks by The Borneo Miler in Sabah. Penang Eco, Borneo TMBT Ultra and MMTF are the other three events with points for the ATM Championship. Last year, Team Malaysia won the ATM Team Championship at the Final in the Philippines. 

We will be reporting live from the Felda Residence in Jerantut on our usual ATM channels starting Saturday afternoon. 

Mohamed Affindi starts his 2023 ATM campaign in a race he won back in 2018

Sally Yap emerged on the scene with a bang last year, finishing with a 2nd place in the ATM Final

Milton Amat and Wilsen Singgin: 2nd and 4th in last year’s ATM Final

Malatra Events returns in 2023 with the Koboi Malaya Trail Classic in Jerantut, Pahang on 13/14 May. The successor to Sungai Menyala Forest Trail will be the first Malaysian ATM points race of this season, with the 50km race category the one to focus on. Just like Sungai Menyala, the new Koboi Malaya is a so-called ‘speed trail’ for runners with a solid pace in the legs. While over 70% is on pure trail, there is very little elevation gain over the 50km distance: 433 metres only. Less ambitious participants can also choose a 25km and 10km option.

As the event organiser points out: this race also allows beginning trail runners to develop a taste for the sport. The route will bring runners to many points of interest around Felda Tekam before entering the forest and entering Taman Warisan Kota Gelangi. This route is similar to what was used in a previous Tekam Forest Trail event in 2018. The course will cover palm oil estate, replanting areas, resorts, golf course, mini-mill, workers quarters, caves around Kota Gelangi, river crossing and etc. The start and finish point of the race will be at Padang KMK, Felda Tekam. As the start and finish line is in the resort, runners can bring their family for a runcation. Families can enjoy the pool while waiting for the runners to finish their races.

Malaysian and international trail runners who are fond of fast trails should mark this date red hot on their calendar, especially given the other events in Malaysia are traditionally more on the technical side.

Registration is now open and can be accessed via the link below. More details can also be found there. You can also check the Felda Residence Tekam, the host venue.

Jeff Campbell was the male winner of Sungai Menyala in 2019, the previous ‘speed trail’